Preface: A grassroots campaign began in
the spring of 2009 to obtain a nomination for Barb Maroney into the Cadets Hall
of Fame. Spearheaded by Sam Signorelli, a letter writing initiative was
undertaken,
culminating into Barb's nomination into the Hall of Fame in May 2009 (click
here). For reference purposes, here's the original interview for the first
issue of The Middle Horn Leader with Barb Maroney.

Originally published March 31,
1992.

Barbara Maroney is
probably best known for her mellophone solo work
with the World Champion
Garfield Cadets during their '83 and '84 shows. Barbara started her tenure
with the activity at the age of seven, playing soprano for a small corps in DuMont, New Jersey called the Sundowners. She took a hiatus from the
activity during her high school years, joining the Garfield Cadets in '81
and aging out in '84. Since aging out, she's become a very respected
teacher, instructing numerous brass lines, even serving as brass
caption-head for The Spirit of Atlanta in 1990. Currently, Barbara is living
in Marietta, Georgia, teaching high school and working with the Denver Blue
Knights Drum and Bugle Corps.

I interviewed Barbara by
telephone on March 24, 1992.

Scooter Pirtle:
Barbara, your
solo work in '83 and '84 is, at this point, beyond legendary. The work you
did is unbelievable. I can't imagine anyone even writing that kind of stuff,
much less pulling it off in a finals situation. Were you nervous?

1983 Garfield
Cadets

Barbara Maroney: Oh,
I was terrified in 1983. In 1984, I was very fortunate. I
was real fortunate, I think, to march where I marched, when I marched,
because of the people around the corps, and because those were the
evolutionary years. It was a good thing to be a part of, it's made me a much
stronger person. When I think about what I experienced and what I felt and
how I've learned and grown as a person, my hope is to give other people that
same situation or that same opportunity. So, now when I teach, that's always
in the back of my mind, and I'm always trying to somehow prepare the
opportunity for them. You can't give it to them, they have to get it
themselves, but I think you can set up a situation where they're able to get
it.

SP: In that show in '84,
you had an incredibly taxing solo at the tail end of what was, at that time,
the most physically demanding show in history. I listen to the CDs and I
know you didn't take any breaks. I look at the tapes and you're not even
breathing heavy. Is it the physical endurance that lets you get through that
type of show, or is there more of a mental aspect to it?

BM: I think it's both.
You have to give yourself the physical ability to be able to do it. When I'm
teaching now, if they technically can't play or perform what I'm asking them
to do, they're not going to be able to relax and play it musically. So, I
think that's the foundation of it. And as for the mental thing...[pause]...At
that time in my life, that was everything I was. How I performed or what
came out of my horn was really me.
I mean, it was everything I had to offer at that time in my life. I
remember George Zingali. He taught me a lot of things. One of the
things is that you can always tell when what you do is a part of you and
means something, or if there's a reason behind it. I guess just being in
the
atmosphere that I was in, there was a reason behind it for me. What [the
reason] was, I'm not real sure.

SP: Well, it was. That's for sure.

BM: There
was something there.

Here's a portion of the
Garfield Cadets 1983 program:

SP: OK, a couple of technical
questions. The "high C" above the staff is a very unforgiving proposition on
a chrome-plated mellophone. Yours were so warm and open. How did you
approach the "high C"?

BM: Well, I
didn't approach it like it was a "high C," I just approached it like it was
a part of the thought behind the music. I find, with the people I work with,
that if they think of the pitch as being high, loud, or low, they won't get
it. But if they put it in context of "it's a pitch, it's just a sound,"
there's nothing more difficult about "it" than other things.

SP:
So, you've just got to get past the mechanics completely.

BM: Yes, I
thinks that's really what you need to do.

SP: I know that you've
studied both trumpet and horn. When you play the mellophone, which I think
is the most unique instrument in the world, do you try to play it like a
trumpet, a French horn, or is it somewhere in between?

BM: it's
definitely a mid-range instrument. It's definitely the French horn. I would
love to use the French horns on the field, but they are very unforgiving,
and the mellophone is the best replacement for it. Even when you're writing
for the instrument, you need to write for it as a mid-ranged instrument, as
the filler. You know, it's like the icing on the cake.

SP: Yeah, that's how Jim
Prime approaches it. He has fun writing the mellophone parts. That's his
vehicle, you know. It's like it's his "cause" or something. OK, here's a
sexist question for you, but I've got to ask it. Why do girls make better
mellophone players than guys? Do you guys know something we don't?

BM: Are
you talking about the age-range for a junior corps?

SP: Yeah.

BM: Boy,
I'm going to get killed for this one. I think, at that age, girls are more
able to express their emotions.

SP: Wow, I've never even
thought about it that way.

BM: I mean,
that's the age when they start thinking about themselves and how they look,
and that's when they say "Oh, isn't that cat pretty" or "look at the babies"
and all of that stuff. The guys are not really there yet. I can even tell in
the line, 17 year old girls and the older guys, are about the same level in
that kind of thing. For the most part, you get girls in the mellophone
line.. Although, I've had some really great guys playing mellophone. The
soloist at Garfield was a guy soloist, he was wonderful.

SP: What year was that?

BM:
That was the "Les Mis" year.

SP: Oh yeah. Was that a
guy soloist last year, who did the "letter from home" solo?

BM: No,
that was a girl.

SP: OK. That was
incredible, too. They haven't written them that tough since you were there.
A "high C" articulation. Give me a break!

BM: Yeah,
and not a lot of people appreciated it, or knew it.

SP: Well, I did. I
couldn't believe it. You've instructed a lot of corps. What's the single
biggest weakness you see in brass players today?

BM: I think confidence and just playing out. Giving me
something to work with, that's always the first struggle. That's pretty
universal, and that's one thing that I've learned from dealing with people
in different places and countries. It's pretty universal. You know, kids are
pretty much the same
everywhere.

SP: What bit of sage
advice would you give to a mid-voice player today, looking back on your vast
experience? We are unique people, you know. You look at the sopranos and
they're the hot shots, the 1sts don't talk to the 3rds. You look at the
baritones and they have to be intelligent and quiet. The contras have a
five-word vocabulary. But the mid-voice, we're kind of like the "human
debris." We're kids that want to go play soprano, but don't have high enough
range, but we've got a good tone. So, they throw us into the mellophone
line. We're the French horn people who are thoroughly confused about the
whole situation. What do you tell these people? Any advice?

BM: Well, you brought up a
good point. Being the soprano player without the range and the confused French
horn player, they need to feel like they are an important part, and they are.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be there. Otherwise, the line itself wouldn't be
written in the music and all that kind of stuff. They need to come together and
form a group or a bond real quickly. Once they do that, they seem to be the
tightest and strongest section.

SP: I agree. You take a
completely mental approach to it, don't you?

BM: I think everything I
do really comes from more of an emotional standpoint. So, yeah, it's mental in
that regard. But, if you don't have that, you don't have anything.

SP: OK. One more question and
I'll let you go. You stole my heart at a show in Evansville in '83. I've been
transfixed ever since. So, I'm going to hate myself if I don't ask you this.
Barbara Maroney, will you marry me?

BM: (Laughs) I don't know.
I never really thought about getting married.

SP: Now that's a typical
mellophone response. Alright, will you at least consider becoming an honorary
member of our section? You'll get a free member T-shirt with your name on the
back.

BM: That would be great!

SP: This has been great. It's kinda like a weird dream or something. Thank you for the interview.